Shadow's Awakening: The Shadow Warder Series, Book One (An Urban Fantasy Romance Series) (42 page)

If he did stay with her, wouldn’t resentment begin to build once it all sank in? His whole life had changed because of her, a girl he’d known a few days. How could that not taint what might be between them? Hannah wouldn’t deny that she loved Conner. Maybe it was just a few days or the weird connection between them, but Hannah knew herself, and she knew Conner.

She also knew the world was filled with unrequited lovers. Even if he did stay with her, that was no guarantee that he would return her love. Hannah wasn’t sure she could spend her life as a responsibility and a burden. Not with Conner. She’d be constantly vulnerable, always wanting more, her feelings for him growing while he offered only duty.

Uncomfortable with the thoughts rolling through her head, she shifted in Conner’s lap. His arms tightened, moving her into a seated position so she could see out the window. From her new vantage point, Hannah saw Kate’s car rumbling ahead of them, carefully navigating the ruts in the uneven road.

“How do you feel?” Conner asked, his lips at her ear sending shivers down her spine.

“Much better. Still tired.” Hannah strained to see anything in the dense woods surrounding them. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere in Tennessee. Kate said the Sanctuary takes up most of a mountain. I’m not sure if she was serious.”

“What time is it?” Hannah knew they had more important things to talk about than basic logistics, but this felt safer. Easier. She wasn’t ready to get into the hard stuff like what was going to happen to them and “Oh by the way, I’m pregnant with your baby and I love you.” “What time is it?” was so much less complicated.

“It’s a little after eight,” Conner said. “I think we’re almost there.”

Hannah saw a light flash from the interior of Kate’s car. A cell phone. Just after Kate put the phone back down, she pulled up in front of a pair of tall, heavy, metal gates set into wide stone pillars. From the glow of their headlights, it looked like the pillars gave way to a high fence that disappeared into the woods. Soundlessly, the right gate opened inward, allowing their cars to enter.

“I guess no one is getting in here uninvited.” Hannah heard from the driver’s seat. Kiernan, Conner’s friend. For a second, she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten his name.

“I have a feeling,” said Conner, “the gate is the least of their defenses.”

Kiernan grunted in response.

The road had smoothed into clean asphalt allowing both vehicles to pick up speed. A few minutes passed before they arrived at a wide circular drive in front of the largest house Hannah had ever seen. Big enough to be a hotel, it rose above the drive in peaks of timber frame, both warm and imposing. The central section was made of a single peak that towered above their cars, the portico braced by thick golden logs in a triangular pattern. On each side of the main peak was a smaller peak with a similar pattern of logs framing the roof. From the main section, a wing angled out on each side, extending far enough to fade into the dark night. The glimmer of light from various windows gave the sense that the structure was far larger than what she could see.

Hannah wondered how many Shadows lived here. The immense wooden front door swung inward to reveal a tall, thin women with a neat knot of graying hair on the top of her head. Her long, pale violet dress floated around her legs as she headed straight for Kate’s car. The second Kate’s head popped out of the car, she was pulled into the woman’s embrace. Now that the two of them were so close, Hannah could see a resemblance. The woman murmured into Kate’s ear and looked relieved at Kate’s nod.

Conner opened his door and the three of them piled out of the truck. Hannah wasn’t going to complain about the ride, or having to curl up in Conner’s lap, but that truck wasn’t anywhere near as roomy as Conner’s SUV had been. She was glad to stretch her legs. To her surprise, Conner leaned to pick her back up.

Cheeks flushing in embarrassment, she whispered, “I’m okay. I can walk.” She didn’t want to meet these new people being carried like an invalid child. Conner grunted in response, wrapping his arm around her waist. Hannah’s still shaky legs could use the support. Stomach twisting with anxiety, she tried to smile at the older Shadow.

“The four of you look like you’ve had an eventful day,” the woman said in a warm, dry voice.

She stepped forward and placed her hand on Hannah’s forehead, briefly closing her eyes and dropping her head. Hannah felt a flash of warmth along her skin. When the woman opened her eyes, she smiled at Hannah, her eyes twinkling.

“I’m Iris, the Keeper of this Sanctuary. That means I’m in charge of this crew. I’m also Katherine and Zachary’s great-grandmother. Let’s get you all cleaned up and settled in. We’ll eat as soon as you’re ready. I imagine you’re hungry.”

She turned and led them into the Shadow Sanctuary. The front door opened into a two-story entry that spilled into a warm, comfortable great room. Enormous stone fireplaces, tall enough for a man to stand comfortably, lined the walls of the great room, two on each side and one in the back. Small fires burned, sending flickering light over the seating areas and tables spread around the room. The space was crowded with people, both men and women, watching the new arrivals with unabashed curiosity. Hannah avoided eye contact, wishing she’d been able to at least clean up a little before seeing all these people for the first time.

Iris strode before them, her presence enough to part the crowd. She clapped her hands three times. Barely raising her voice, she said, “All of you have better things to do than gawk at our guests.” With a few grumbles, the room began to empty. Undaunted, Iris gestured at a young man standing nearby. “Peter, have the others we discussed gather in the meeting room in thirty minutes. Ask the kitchens for a hot meal for four and a cold tray for the rest of us.” The young man nodded and dashed off, eager to do as he was bid. Iris smiled at his departure and turned to Kate, still leading them deep into the building in her brisk stride. “Have you heard from Zachary?”

They arrived at the base of a wide staircase off to the side of the great room. The stairs, like the great room and the exterior of the building, were made of golden wood, the treads worn deep. Hannah leaned on Conner’s arm as they climbed, wishing she wasn’t so weak and tired.

“He’s on his way,” Kate answered. “He said he had something to pick up, but he didn’t say what.”

“That boy has too many irons in the fire,” Iris grumbled. “We’ll start without him.”

Iris led them into a long hallway dotted with doors. Opening one, Iris ushered Conner and Hannah inside. She pointed to the door across the hall.

“You can take that one,” she said to Kiernan. To Kate she said, “Sorcha wants you to stay with her. Bring her with you to the meeting. And don’t get to talking—I want everyone in the meeting room in a half hour, no more.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll be there.” Kate loped off with a cheeky grin at her great-grandmother. Iris shook her head.

The room was larger than Hannah had expected. Like the spaces she’d already seen, this room glowed. Warm pine walls reached from the floor to the chair rail where they changed to a creamy plaster. On one side, a huge king-size bed dominated. The other wall held a stone fireplace and an archway that seemed to lead to a dressing room or sitting room. An open door near the bed revealed a glimpse of a bathroom.

“These rooms will be yours for now,” Iris said, turning to face Hannah. “I’ll have someone bring in any belongings later. There are clothes laid out in the bath for both of you. I’ll check you over and then let you get cleaned up.”

Iris’s hands were gentle as they passed over Hannah’s body, slowing over her injured arm and her torso. Within moments, Iris was patting her on the back, assuring them that Hannah was just tired and worn out, nothing a few days of good food and rest wouldn’t cure. Reminding them to be out in the hall in twenty-five minutes, she swept out of the room.

Hannah found herself unable to meet Conner’s eyes. Left in the room with Conner and that big bed, she wanted desperately to be alone. No one had asked Conner if he wanted to share a room with her. Iris had just lumped them together. Hannah should tell him he didn’t have to stay, but she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject when it would lead to so many other things. Knowing she was being a coward, she mumbled something about cleaning up and fled for the bathroom.

Conner watched Hannah disappear into the bathroom and wondered what the hell was going on. He couldn’t tell if she was just tired and overwhelmed or if she was pulling away from him. He didn’t think it mattered. If she was tired, she’d be getting rest soon enough. If she was pulling away, he wasn’t going to let her. Hannah was his. He knew she cared for him, at least a little. She was definitely attracted to him. If that was all there was, so be it. Conner could build on it. Hannah had claimed him with their first kiss, whether she knew it or not. Conner wasn’t backing off. He briefly entertained the idea of joining her in the shower. There was nothing like being naked together to revive intimacy.

On the other hand, Iris had been pretty firm about getting to dinner on time. It didn’t seem like a great idea to alienate their hostess. Especially since they didn’t have anywhere else to go. At least nowhere that was as safe as the Shadow Sanctuary. Conner began to strip off his dirty, bloody clothes. He might not have time to share the shower with Hannah, but he wasn’t going to give her space either. Her gasp as he entered the steamy bathroom made him grin. She was going to have to get used to sharing with him. He wasn’t going anywhere.

When they were cleaned up, the young man Iris had called Peter led Hannah and Conner to a room on the first floor. Hannah’s eyes were wide as she took in the high ceilings and rustic woodwork of the Sanctuary. She tried to pay attention to where they were going, but kept getting distracted by their surroundings. The building seemed to go on forever, all long halls and wide staircases interspersed with fascinating pieces of art here and there. Her hand held tightly in Conner’s larger one, Hannah was forced to keep pace when she would have lagged behind.

Finally, Peter pushed open a set of double doors, Conner behind him. Hannah followed them into what could have been a meeting room, or a dining room. Hard to tell. Dominated by a long, rustic wood table, it was filled with a mismatched group of Shadows.

Iris sat at the head of the table, looking like a cross between a librarian and a hippie grandmother with her gray bun and flowing violet dress. Kate sprawled a few seats down on Iris’s right, dressed casually in jeans and a graphic t-shirt. Beside her sat another woman who appeared to be around Kate’s age. Hannah guessed she was Sorcha. She was dressed similarly to Kate in a grass green t-shirt and faded jeans, the green of the shirt a vivid contrast to her waving red hair. She and Kate were whispering like teenagers in the back row of study hall.

Hannah spotted Kiernan across from Kate and her friend, two empty seats beside him. She and Conner moved around the room and sat down. The rest of the seats were taken by five other Shadows in a range of ages, both male and female. Only one other, at the foot of the table opposite Iris, appeared to be over the age of thirty-five. Threads of gray shone through dark hair at his temples, but his large frame was solid and fit, reminding Hannah of the Warder soldiers she’d seen. He appeared detached and a bit impatient.

Shadows, Hannah reminded herself, could control the aging process. While only two of them might look past middle age, there was no saying that the young-looking woman beside Kate wasn’t hundreds of years old. With a jolt Hannah realized that Kate herself hadn’t given any clue of her age. Not knowing something as simple as the age of the people around her made Hannah even more nervous.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of the food. Hannah heard Kate let out an unceremonious, “Thank God! I’m starving!” that was met with a shake of the head by Iris. Steaming bowls of stew were set before the new arrivals while the rest of the table made do with sliced cheese and fruit.

Curious eyes weighed on Hannah, making it difficult to do more than stare at her bowl of stew and shovel in bite after bite. She was grateful Iris allowed them to finish eating before she began to talk. With all the stress, Hannah would have thought food would be the last thing on her mind, but at the first taste of the rich stew her stomach begged for more. Maybe it was the healing. Or the fighting. Kate, Conner and Kiernan seemed as interested in their meals as she was. They all ate with single-minded dedication. When they set down their spoons, Iris brought the meeting to order.